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All posts for the month June, 2013

Mount Shasta from Plug 8,852 near the North Gate Trail, which is subject to repeated inaccuracies on trail maps.

I am not a gear junkie and product reviews are not something I plan on including on Hikemtshasta.com. I am, however, a map fiend and I enjoy studying maps whenever possible. On a hiking site like this one, maps are an essential feature. They provide a visual guide to complement the written descriptions of trails. Every trail presented on Hikemtshasta.com is accompanied by an illustrated trail map. However, it is likely that visitors will acquire one of the maps that have been professionally published and are for sale on Amazon.com, in stores and from the U.S. Forest Service. Mount Shasta is an obvious candidate for a good trail map. The trails on the mountain are exceptionally scenic and attract hikers from all over the world. There are, in fact, at least three maps that illustrate the trails on the mountain. Unfortunately, each of the three maps has significant inaccuracies or omits trails that should be documented on the map. Three publishers are responsible for the maps: the Wilderness Press, Thomas Harrison Maps, and the United States Forest Service. Though some of the errors and omissions are the same between the different maps, each one has peculiarities all their own. It is surprising, especially on the map produced by the Forest Service, that these errors were made.

The trails on Mount Shasta are generally straight forward. It is not essential to carry a map while hiking on the mountain. Between being well-signed with obvious trails and many of the routes being simple out-and-back affairs, a map is somewhat superfluous. However, it certainly does not hurt to have one and it is helpful to acquaint oneself with the geography. Maps are more helpful while attempting cross-country trips to places like Ash Creek Falls. So, though they are not absolutely necessary, trail maps are useful and it is worthwhile to evaluate what the three Mount Shasta trail maps got right and where they erred.

Both the Whitney Falls and North Gate Trails are depicted inaccurately.

This is probably the most widely distributed of the Mount Shasta trail maps. This is due, at least in part, to the fact that aside from being generally available in stores by itself, the map is also included with the Wilderness Press’ “Mt. Shasta Book”, which is considered the definitive book on hiking around and climbing on Mount Shasta. One would think, considering the general quality of products released by this publisher, that this map would be a good resource for exploring Mount Shasta. Unfortunately this is not the case. The Wilderness Press Map is by far the worst of the three maps. One of the biggest complaints is the map’s chaotic appearance. In addition to trails, the map illustrates climbing routes, skiing routes, the circumnavigation route, and roads both paved and unpaved around the periphery of the wilderness. Making matters more complicated, the colors used to indicate the hiking, climbing and skiing routes are all different shades of red. It is very, very cluttered. Exacerbating the problematic appearance further, the map seems to be shaded relief, but the shading is on steroids and follows no discernible metric. Rather than giving the map a three-dimensional look, it just ends up looking splotchy. The appearance, however, is not the biggest problem with this map. The map is riddled with errors when it comes to marking the trails on the mountain. The only trails that are reasonably accurate are the Horse Camp and the Brewer Creek Trails. The Squaw Meadow Trail is acceptable but is only loosely accurate. The other trails, especially the North Gate Trail, are completely inaccurate, following an old routing that has not been used for well over a decade. Trails are also illustrated that do not really exist. When the wilderness was established in 1984, some old roads were truncated and the sections that now fell within the wilderness were officially listed as trails. No maintenance has been done on these in the 30 years since and almost none lead to interesting destinations, yet they appear as trails on the map. This is unnecessarily misleading. Between the various trail inaccuracies and the chaotic look, this trail is practically worthless to a hiker, other than to give the broadest of impressions as to where things are at. The only piece of useful information on the map is the approximate location of the circumnavigation route around the mountain.

Note the great depiction of the trails along the Everitt Memorial Highway.

This is by far the best map illustrating Mount Shasta’s trails that is generally available. As with all Tom Harrison Maps, the map resembles the USGS Topo maps and has a clean, understated look that still retains a tremendous amount of information. Doing away with the skiing routes present on the previous map, this edition only documents the hiking and climbing routes. The latter is indicated by understated lines of black dots. The trails are denoted with red dashes. Again, as with all Tom Harrison maps, mileage is indicated between points, providing some very helpful data. Another great feature of this map is the generally accurate representation of the trails. One gets the feeling that someone from the cartographers actually went out and hiked many of the trails in order to ensure the map’s accuracy. Quite notably, all the trails beginning on Everitt Memorial Highway (the only paved road climbing Mount Shasta and the most heavily used part of the mountain) are quite accurate. This includes the Old Ski Bowl Trail, which consists of a rather confusing network of old roads that once serviced the now vanished Ski Park. Alone among the three maps, the Tom Harrison edition accurately depicts the new route of the North Gate Trail. The map is also a convenient size when open (far more convenient than the other two maps), folds up nicely for the pocket, and is printed on waterproof plastic. The biggest drawbacks for this map are some minor inaccuracies on the Clear Creek Trail (switchbacks in the trail’s first mile omitted) and the Gray Butte Trail (map shows the trail ending at communication towers rather than the butte’s summit). Also, while the other maps depict the Whitney Falls Trail inaccurately, this map omits it completely. This may due to the fact that the Forest Service no longer maintains the route.

U.S. Forest Service Map

Washed out and lacking shaded relief, this map once again depicts the Whitney Falls and North Gate Trails incorrectly.

The Forest Service produces a series of trails-illustrated maps for all of the wilderness areas within a national forest. They are usually printed on waterproof plastic and are generally accurate. One of the biggest drawbacks is their invariably large size (the Trinity Alps Wilderness map is ridiculous; it is essentially a waterproof tablecloth!) and the Mount Shasta Wilderness map is no exception. By far the largest map of the three, its size unfortunately does not mean that there is more detail. In fact, this is the least detailed map of the three, mostly because it is strictly topographical and has no shaded relief. This gives the map a vague, washed-out appearance. These drawbacks aside, the map is reasonably accurate. It lacks the trail detail of the Tom Harrison map but generally avoids getting things wrong. One notable exception is the North Gate Trail, which, like the Wilderness Press map, shows the trail following its old route up the mountain. Considering that this is produced by the same agency that rerouted and maintains the trail, this is just sloppy. Other errors include very out-of-date condition of the Whitney Falls Trail and the Gray Butte Trail. It does, along of the three maps, accurately depict the switchbacks at the beginning of the Clear Creek Trail. Another drawback is that the map seems to go out of its way to show trails that are not there or are old roads that are now listed as trails but are generally not used by hikers. This just adds confusion and hopefully won’t send an unobservant hiker crashing into the woods to find a trail that is isn’t there. If, by chance a trail was found, it likely wouldn’t take them anywhere. One nice bonus this map does offer is the inclusion of a map of the Castle Crags Wilderness on the reverse side.

In the end, the only map that I would recommend folks use for hiking on Mount Shasta is the Tom Harrison edition. The Wilderness Press map is awful and the Forest Service Map, while reasonably accurate (but not more than the Tom Harrison map), is too large and too washed-out looking. If a trip to the hiking trails on Mount Shasta is in the works, it is best to take the Tom Harrison map. Of course, it is worthwhile to reference the map produced by this site to plan your trip. All of the trails were hiked in the summer of 2012 and careful notes were made in order to represent the trails with reasonable accuracy on the maps. In addition to being significantly more accurate or complete than the three published maps, the Hikemtshasta.com Mount Shasta trail map is also the only one that is comprehensive. It is the only map that shows all the trails in their accurate form as well as unofficial trails and off-trail routes to places like Ash Creek Falls.

The Four Lakes Loop is one of the finest trails in the Trinity Alps, showing off its quartet of beautiful lakes with graceful confidence. Of course, the Four Lakes Loop is not the amazing trail it is only because of its lakes but also its perfect arrangement of stone and meadow, forest and cliff, peak and basin. It offers up all of these delights and then boasts some of the most magnificent views in Northern California. All of the features are arranged in ideal fashion as though the trail was designed to be a backcountry themed ride at an amusement park. Each turn of the trail reveals a new attraction, be it creek, canyon, peak, meadow, lake and cliff. All of the tremendous scenery of the Four Lakes Loop is had for surprisingly little effort. It is a roller coaster trail, climbing into and out of four lake basins slung on the flanks of granite Siligo Peak, but the grade is never steep and the effort is moderated by the constantly staggering vistas.

Middle Peak, near Echo Lake on the Stoney Ridge Trail.

Unlike most of the trails in the Trinity Alps, the Four Lakes Loop is not accessible directly via a trailhead on the outskirts of the Trinity Alps Wilderness. Instead, it is necessary to backpack into the loop area and set up a basecamp. The distance from civilization is part of the Loop’s charm. It is accessed by four different trails, each of which connects to a number of other locations. Two trails, the Deer Creek Trail and the Granite Lake Trail are only useful if connecting the Loop to longer trips through the Trinity Alps. The Deer Creek Trail joins the Stuart Fork Trail so a trip to Emerald and Sapphire Lakes can also be joined to the Four Lakes Loop. The same can be said for the Granite Lake Trail, which forms a nice loop with the trail through Bear Basin. A steep series of switchbacks drop down into the Deer Creek Meadows where they link up to the lowest point on the Four Lakes Loop. Both of these trails are not very useful for reaching the Loop directly. To do that, it is necessary to hike the Long Canyon or Stoney Ridge Trails. Long Canyon is the shortest route and very scenic but it is steep and, as scenic as it is, it misses the numerous highlights through which the Stoney Ridge Trail passes. It is this last route that is the ideal route by which to access the Four Lakes Loop.

Four Lakes Loop area from the Stoney Ridge Trail.

The Stoney Ridge Trail is a case-study in delayed gratification. A long series of switchbacks tests the patience of backpackers as they climb through dense forest up toward Stonewall Pass. Beyond the pass they are rewarded for their efforts with alpine paradise. The trail passes through meadows, over creeks and passes wonderful Echo Lake, which makes a great basecamp from which to hike the Four Lakes Loop. As if the immediate surroundings were not beautiful enough, far-ranging views abound on the Stoney Ridge Trail. Once atop Stonewall Pass, every step of the trail brings new sights and vistas, all of which combine to make the ideal route to access the Four Lakes Loop.

Afflicting hikers with 57 switchbacks at the outset of the trail should be enough to purge all but the dedicated from this stairway to alpine paradise. Staying under the forest canopy for much of the climb, the trial finally breaks out of the cover at Red Mountain Meadows, just prior to climbing Stonewall Pass. Beyond the pass, the route continues through lush Van Matre Meadows before climbing up to beautiful Echo Lake, which has both a spectacular rocky basin and an incredible view into the heart of the Trinity Alps. Beyond Echo Lake the trail surmounts Little Stonewall Pass and then drops down through peak-rimmed Siligo Meadows. One final climb above the meadow to Deer Creek Pass brings an end to the Stoney Ridge Trail and the beginning of the Four Lakes Loop.

Starting at Deer Creek Pass, where the two typical access trails (Stoney Ridge and Long Canyon Trails) meet, the Loop traverses the upper portion of Deer Lake’s cirque. A short climb over a pass brings views of blue Summit Lake, the largest of the four lakes that surround Siligo Peak. There is also a short route leading to the summit of Siligo Peak and great views. A little further brings another set of switchbacks dropping down toward elegant Diamond Lake and one of the greatest views of the Trinity Alps, as the white towers of the Canyon Creek area loom beyond Diamond Lake and the canyon of the Stuart Fork of the Trinity River. Another climb up switchbacks yields views of delicate, azure Luella Lake. Beyond the lake, Seven Up Peak and Dolomite Ridge hover above the grassy expanse of Deer Creek Meadow. From the meadow the long climb up to Deer Lake and Deer Creek Pass begins but its difficulty is mitigated by tumultuous Deer Creek and the views of the granite giants on either side of the trail. Once back on Deer Creek Pass, the Loop is done, but the wonders of the Stoney Ridge Trail still await the return home.

In an earlier post, I highlighted two trails leading to a pair of lake basins at the headwaters of the South Fork of the Sacramento River. Though the South Fork is accessed via a paved road, these trails are not heavily used. Ironically, the road traveling up the South Fork canyon provides access to another pair of lake basins that see a bit more use, neither of which contributes water to the South Fork of the Sacramento. These trails are in fact sections of the Pacific Crest Trail, extending north and south from the trailhead at Gumboot Saddle, which marks the final extent of South Fork’s canyon. The northern section of the PCT follows the crest of the Trinity Divide to Porcupine Lake, which sits in an intimate, rocky cirque below the great pyramid of Porcupine Peak. Another mile beyond Porcupine Lake is Toad Lake, very different in character but still quite scenic. The southern section of the PCT quickly accesses the excellent Seven Lakes Basin. Side trails and an old dirt road split off of the PCT and provide routes to all of the beautiful lakes in the basin. There is also an opportunity to climb Many Lakes Mountain, which has one of the finest views anywhere in Northern California.

Porcupine Lake.

The Seven Lakes Basin and Porcupine Lake are two of the prettiest spots in the Mount Shasta area. Both boast cool, clear lakes, great views and awesome, rocky cliffs composed of gneiss. Toad Lake, near Porcupine, is also very scenic but is not in the same class as its smaller neighbor (it is still worth the hike in to it!). If I had to pick one hike as the superior, I would choose the trip to the Seven Lakes Basin. It has excellent views of the Mount Shasta area and the Trinity Alps. The hike to the Seven Lakes Basin also has more destinations and more options for exploration. This includes scrambles up both Many Lakes Mountain and Boulder Peak. The basin is also large enough to absorb lots of hikers without feeling crowded. While the Seven Lakes may be the better hike over all, Porcupine Lake is the prettiest of all the lakes accessed via the PCT from the Gumboot trailhead. The lake is fairly large and almost completely encircled in a rocky bowl. Only the east side is unenclosed and it has great views of Mount Shasta.

The two trails departing from the Gumboot Trailhead are among the longer day hikes in the Mount Shasta area. Both are frequently used as backpacking destinations. Since the Pacific Crest Trail provides entry to both lake basins there is already a built in expectation that one will see other people on the trail. Couple the through-hikers with those eager to hike great trails without having to drive dirt roads and you have one of the busier trailheads in the Mount Shasta area. Don’t let this be a discouragement. Busy by Mount Shasta standards is still lightly used by the crowd expectations in other areas.

The Seven Lakes Basin constitutes the headwaters of the main fork of Castle Creek. The creek drains the area immediately to the south of the Castle Crags, which are visible from parts of the basin. Castle Creek is the largest of the tributaries that feed into the Sacramento River after the river leaves Lake Siskiyou. The trail to the basin is one of the most scenic in the entire Mount Shasta area. For little effort, the trail provides excellent views of Mount Shasta, the Trinity Alps and the Mumbo Lakes. An off trail scramble up Many Lakes Mountain yields one of the finest vistas anywhere in the Northstate, taking in the aforementioned sites and adding the Cliff Lakes, the Seven Lakes Basin, the mighty Grey Rocks, and almost all of the Lassen area, as well as reaching as far north as Mount McLoughlin in Oregon. In all honesty, it would probably be more accurate to rename the basin the Six Lakes Basin. One of the lakes is more like a pond on not nearly on the same level as the other lakes. Of the remaining six, only three are deep lakes. This does not mean the other three are not highly scenic, only that if swimming is what one has in mind, head to Upper and Lower Seven Lakes and Echo Lake. Part of Echo Lake is on private land, so please be sensitive to the property owners.

Following the PCT north from Gumboot Saddle to Porcupine and Toad Lakes is a fantastic hike with a high scenic factor. The trail maintains a fairly level grade so even though it is over 5 miles to Porcupine Lake, it does not feel like a tremendous effort has been expended. Along the way, the path scallops across the headwalls of both Fawn Creek Canyon and the Middle Fork of the Sacramento River Canyon. There are some good views toward the Trinity Alps in the west but most of the best views are toward Mount Shasta in the east. On particularly scenic spot comes along the rim of the Middle Fork Canyon, where a large complex of springs produces a large flower filled meadow. The grassy swale makes a great foreground for views of Mount Shasta. Finally arriving at Porcupine Lake, one is treated to one of the prettiest lakes in the Trinity Divide. The bowl is rocky and almost completely encircles the lake. The south side of the lake is dominated by the towering Porcupine Peak, a summit visible from the Mount Shasta City area. The north side has some fine peaks that are worth the scramble to the summit as well. Interestingly, Porcupine Lake has no outlet. Its waters seep underground and emerge as a spring down canyon. Nearby Toad Lake is not as scenic but is much larger and still very attractive. It is worth the extra effort to reach the lake, especially if one is spending the night at Porcupine Lake.

The Castle Crags loom large across the Sacramento River Canyon. The Crags figure prominently in the climbing guide.

It is probably evident from the content on Hikemtshasta.com that I am a hiker. Although I dabbled in rock climbing earlier in my late teens and early twenties, it is not something I have much interest in pursuing at this point in my life. Of course, I have tremendous respect for those who participate in the sport and I am fascinated by the challenges that climbers have to overcome on longer routes. It is with this respect and fascination that I want to recommend the rock climbing guide, Mt Shasta Area Rock Climbing – A Climber’s Guide to Siskiyou County, which was recently published by my friend Grover Shipman. This is by far the most comprehensive rock climbing guide for the Northstate. As the title states, it covers crags all over Siskiyou County including several little known gems. However, the real heart of the book is Grover’s documentation of the incredible climbs in the Castle Crags. He went so far as to charter a helicopter to photograph hard to see areas. There is no other book like it. While great care and effort went into the description of rock climbing in the Mount Shasta area, Grover also put a lot work into gathering and documenting the natural and human history of the region and put together what is probably the first comprehensive account of the development of rock climbing in the area. With all the extra information, it is a great resource for anyone interested in the Mount Shasta area, not just for rock climbers. I heartily recommend the book.

Along with the book, I wanted to include a link to Grover’s new blog, Siskiyou County Outdoors. He is just getting it started but it has already has lots of great information on it. He is always eager to answer questions and is very friendly. Drop him a line!

With the exception of Mount Shasta, the Trinity Alps are the most majestic and scenic mountain range in the California Northstate. The Trinity Alps Wilderness, which is a vast 525,636 acres, is one of the wildest corners of California. Here one finds mountains on a grander scale than any other mountain range in California, outside of the Sierra Nevada (and Mount Shasta, of course, but that is a solitary mountain, and excels against every mountain in the state, even the great captains of the Sierra Nevada). There are many great destinations in the Trinity Alps and it is debatable which is the greatest. However, by any metric, the Caribou Lakes must be considered near the top of the list, if not at the very top by themselves. This is alpine scenery at its finest and grandest with lots of white polished granite, enormous, deep lakes, verdant meadows and a vista to rival scenes in the most scenic of mountain ranges.

Lower Caribou Lake.

Caribou Lake is the largest lake in both the Trinity Alps and the entire Klamath Mountains. At 72 acres, it exceeds its nearest competitor by at least 20 acres. Lower Caribou Lake, occupying a deep granite bowl below the main lake measures an impressive 30 acres, enough to rank it near the top of the list of lakes in the Trinities in terms of size. Snowslide Lake, the smallest of the main lakes in the Caribou Basin is nearly as large. Numerous smaller tarns litter the basin, providing private soaking pools for weary backpackers. Weary is what any who reach the basin must be. It is over 9 miles from the trailhead to the lakes via the New Caribou Trail, the easier of the two routes leading into the basin. This effectively prohibits access to the lakes to all but the most fit and extreme of day hikers. This is not a bad development since scenery this amazing is not totally off the radar. It filters out the less dedicated and reduces the number of folks who make it to this special place.

The Stuart Fork vista.

The Caribou Lakes Trail has two of the most iconic views found anywhere in the Trinity Alps. One, from the top of the headwall above Caribou Lake looks down into the Stuart Fork of the Trinity River. The serrated towers of Sawtooth Peak preside like a monarch over the region while massive Emerald and Sapphire Lakes, stunningly large lakes in their own right, are cradled in a gargantuan granite bowl. To the south, the Stuart Fork flows toward the Trinity River while the great spires of Sawtooth Ridge gouge at the sky. This is a stunning and unforgettable vista. The other iconic view comes from the top of the Old Caribou Trail, as it reaches its apex atop the great shoulder of Caribou Mountain. Here the vast Caribou Basin spreads out below, with Caribou and Lower Caribou Lakes looking unforgivably distant after the hard climb necessary to reach the view. Beyond the lakes, the high peaks of the Trinity Alps, particularly the peaks of the granite heart of the range, line the horizon, a wild an inaccessible land.

The Sacramento River is California’s largest and longest river. Most people’s exposure to it occurs in the Sacramento area where it is slow moving through the fields and city or as the broad giant that meanders through the Delta. A smaller but still significant number or people are familiar with the river as it lazily winds its way down the Sacramento Valley. It is a part of the lives of those who live around Redding, where the river passes through the city and still retains a little bit of its mountain character: swift flowing, navigating rapids and so on. Anyone driving up I-5 north of Redding has seen its waters impounded in Shasta Lake and followed its course from Lakehead to Dunsmuir. This stretch of river is raucous and scenic and is rich with wild character. Beyond Dunsmuir they leave the river behind and climb up towards Mount Shasta, the great geographic siren of the Northstate. Shortly after the Interstate and the Sacramento River part ways, the river flows through a very scenic chasm known as the Box Canyon. Upstream a little further it is impounded to form Lake Siskiyou. Further upstream from the lake one can witness the birth of the Sacramento River proper as the three forks forks of the river’s headwaters, the North, Middle, and South Forks, converge to form the river in its fullness. This opportunity is generally unknown to most folks and this is made more obscure by the fact that the large springs at the Mount Shasta City Park are billed as the headwaters of the Sacramento or, at the very least, the “spiritual headwaters”.

The Sacramento River, below the confluence of the three forks.

The three forks of the Sacramento that make up its headwaters arise in the Trinity Divide, the eastern breastwork of the great Klamath Mountains. These mountains are on the opposite side of the Strawberry Valley from Mount Shasta. Each fork begins its journey by forming at the head of a deep mountain canyon and tumbling furiously towards their convergence with the other forks. The North Fork is the wildest of the three and the only one not to begin in a lake basin. Instead, a massive complex of meadows gives birth to the river. No roads travel the canyon of the North Fork, which is only accessed by the remote Sisson-Callahan Trail. The Middle Fork headwaters are Porcupine and Toad Lakes. A road does reach up to Toad Lake but it is long, rough and dusty. Only the South Fork, which is the largest of the three, is accessed by a paved road. It also has the largest watershed of the three forks and is fed by several lakes from four separate lake basins. These basins, the Gumboot, Cedar (Cliff Lake), Soapstone, and Gray Rock, offer sustained water flow throughout the year from the lakes and the meadows that surround them. The presence of so many lake basins means that the South Fork of the Sacramento also has the most diverse hiking options. Two of the basins in particular, Cedar and Gray Rock, have great trails that lead to numerous highly scenic destinations. There is also a lot of potential for off-trail exploration in both of these lake basins.

The easternmost of all the lakes in the South Fork area, the Gray Rock Lakes are nestled into a broad bowl. The entire basin was included in the Castle Crags Wilderness when the wilderness area was established in 1984. Unlike the Castle Crags, which are a classic granite formation, the rocky bowl containing these lakes is formed of a gneiss intrusion. The two types of rocks are related, but gneiss does not have all of the components of granite, such as mica, and is prone to banding (parallel layers in the rock). Three lakes are found in the Gray Rock basin: Gray Rock, Upper Gray Rock and Timber Lakes. There are also a few unnamed ponds, most of which are near Upper Gray Rock Lake. Two high peaks, Gray Rock Dome and Harry Watkins form the eastern and southern walls of the basin. The short Gray Rock Lake Trail traverses the canyon wall above the outlet creek. Gray Rock Dome looms prominently on the opposite side of the canyon. Once the trail drops down to Gray Rock Lake, there are a few different options. Paths lead to the upper lake and Timber Lake. Upper Gray Rock Lake is in a scenic bowl with attractive cliffs above it. Timber Lake has the most extensive meadows in the basin. Routes leading to the two aforementioned peaks depart from the lakes. The last 0.25 miles of the road leading to the trailhead is a bit rough so those without high clearance vehicles may want to park when the road degrades and walk to the trailhead.

The largest of the lake basins that feed the South Fork of the Sacramento, Cedar Basin is home to Lower Cliff Lake, Cliff Lake, Upper Cliff Lake as well as Cedar Lake and Terrace Lake. Numerous unnamed are tucked into rocky corners of the basin as well. These lakes are the ultimate source of the South Fork. It is fitting that the South Fork begins in such dramatic fashion. Water from Upper Cliff Lake and Terrace Lake cascades noisily into Cliff Lake, flowing down the massive cliff that rises out of the lake’s southern end. Cliff Lake’s cliff is one of the most dramatic features found anywhere in the Trinity Divide. Unlike the Gray Rock Lakes, Cliff Lake is accessed by a road rather than a trail. The road is very rough and is more easily hiked than driven. There is a trail leading from Cliff Lake up to Terrace Lake. From there, numerous smaller, unnamed lakes can be reached. The prettiest of these is tucked into a bench in Cliff Lake’s cliff. It is reached from Terrace Lake. Nearby there is a rough route leading down to spectacular Upper Cliff Lake. The west part of Cliff Lake is privately owned. A couple cabins occupy the site. Be sensitive to the owner’s rights.

Other Lakes Along The South Fork

Gumboot Lake.

There are two other basins that feed the South Fork. In terms of area, the Soapstone Basin is the largest but it only has two small ponds, only one of which does not dry up late in the season. There is a trail that climbs into the basin and eventually accesses the Pacific Crest Trail. Further up the South Fork Canyon are the Gumboot Lakes. The paved road reaches all the way up to the shores of Gumboot Lake where there is a small campground. Meadows ring the main lake while Upper Gumboot Lake is a bit rockier. These lakes are subtler than the Gray Rock and Cliff Lakes and lakes the large cliffs that give the others their impressive appearance. A short trail climbs above the lakes and connects to the Pacific Crest Trail at Gumboot Saddle. If camping at the lake, this trail, combined with a short section of the PCT to the south of the saddle leads to a fantastic vista overlooking the lakes with a great view of Mount Shasta.

The obvious intent of Hikemtshasta.com is offer the most complete coverage of the exceptional hiking opportunities on and around Mount Shasta. It is not my desire to overextend the site or to deviate from its core purpose of covering the trails in the immediate Mount Shasta area. However, there are several amazing places within easy reach of Mount Shasta that are exceptionally scenic and deserving of thorough documentation. The focus of Hikemtshasta.com will always be on the great mountain’s close vicinity but it would be a shame if the other regions in Mount Shasta’s outer orbit were left unacknowledged on this site. The difficulty comes with trying to meet the goal of being exhaustive. There are a few thousand miles of trails in the surrounding wilderness areas and other destinations. Documenting all of these routes is a massive undertaking and will certainly be a very lengthy endeavor. Still, if for no other reason than to raise awareness of the outdoor resources and stunning landscapes found in the California Northstate, it seems like the natural move to expand Hikemtshasta.com’s scope.

Upper Canyon Creek Falls.

Chief among the extraordinary areas a little further afield from Mount Shasta are the vast and spectacular Trinity Alps. The eastern fringe of the Trinities are only 30 miles to the west and are prominently visible from numerous trails in the Shasta area. These mountains are part of the expansive Trinity Alps Wilderness, which is just under 550,000 acres. This is one of the the most wild and rugged regions in California and a place so vast it is easy to lose oneself in the backcountry for weeks. The mountains are exceptionally scenic with huge granite peaks, deep glacially scoured canyons and valleys, dozens of alpine lakes, extensive alpine meadows, unusual bright red peaks all combined with a sense of deep isolation. For the first post on trails in the Trinity Alps, the obvious choice was the Canyon Creek Trail. It is the most popular trail in the Trinities and it is certainly one of the most scenic. This trail has it all: massive granite peaks, a large, roaring creek, huge waterfalls, meadows and gorgeous alpine lakes. This trail is one of the finest in all of Northern California.

Although I do not have a timetable for the rollout of additional areas that will be covered on Hikemtshasta.com, I plan on covering hikes in the Marble Mountains, the Siskiyous, the Warner Mountains, the Modoc Plateau, the Lassen area and the southern Klamath Mountains, which includes the Yolla Bolly Mountains. I may even expand into southern Oregon a bit. All of these will be found under the “Further Afield” category in the “Trails” drop down menu and and at the bottom of the trails listed in the sidebar. This is a pretty daunting task that will be years in the making, but I hope that it will help folks appreciate this part of California and make great memories in the area’s majestic mountains.

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